ASK TONY: A parcel firm's driver crashed into a bollard protecting our 16th-century cottage six months ago but they won't pay up for repairs

A Yodel driver severely damaged a concrete bollard outside our 16th-century cottage on March 1 this year. It had been put up to protect the corner of the property where the gas boiler is housed.

We emailed Yodel with the registration number of the driver’s vehicle because he drove off. We received an apology from customer services and provided all the information they requested, including photographic evidence of the damage.

We had a reply saying the driver had admitted the damage and we then sent Yodel an estimate for £525 from a local builder. Weeks later, in April, we phoned to be told they had not received the recorded delivery envelope we had sent and asking that we sent the whole lot again.

This we did, but since then have heard nothing.

A. and M. N., Kent.

One reader phoned Yodel to be told they had not received the recorded delivery envelope they sent after a bollard was severely damaged with the firm asking they send it all over again

Yodel offers its sincere apologies for the incident and has sent you the full £525 reimbursement for having your bollard mended, plus £30 in vouchers.

Yodel says that following an investigation, it would appear that your postal correspondence was misdirected, delaying the refund.

Share this article

I’m struggling to avoid making sarcastic comments about the irony of Yodel being on the receiving end of a misdirected parcel. But my lips will remain sealed.

I received a welcome pack from Scottish Power on December 22 last year for someone with a different address. I emailed them telling them of the error.

On January 4, 2019, I got an email from my supplier, Ovo, saying a transfer from them was complete. I told them I hadn’t requested the transfer.

Ovo then confirmed my cancellation, saying I must pay a £60 penalty for cancelling within contract. I wrote again to say I had never requested the transfer.

In March, Scottish Power told me it had tried to contact Ovo about moving my energy back, but Ovo was refusing to talk to them due to data protection rules.

I am currently paying £152 a month to Ovo despite being on a low-user tariff. My account shows I am £509 in credit, but that is unlikely to be correct due to a lack of meter readings and statements.

Ovo says it cannot reduce my direct debit until I receive a statement.

G. N., Essex.

Scottish Power clearly owned up to its error and attempted to move you back to Ovo, but once again data protection rules were used as a catch-all to avoid serving a customer properly.

For its part, Ovo says it did not receive any contact from Scottish Power about the erroneous transfer until May 22 this year — which obviously contradicts what you were told by Scottish Power.

The good news is that your supply was returned to Ovo on June 17.

Ovo says that it followed the proper procedure while correcting the unwanted transfer. It agrees it went beyond the 12-week industry-standard period, but claims this was due to a lack of transfer data from Scottish Power. Obviously, the £60 cancellation fee has been waived by Ovo.

My contract with Vodafone ended on January 10, 2019, but it is still asking for money.

I took the mobile phones back to the Vodafone shop.

They have not been used since January 5.

C. P., Oxfordshire.

Vodafone admits it made a mistake. It cancelled one of your mobile phone numbers but not the other. It has now cancelled the second line and cleared the outstanding balance.

Vodafone apologises to you for its mistake and the inconvenience.

Straight to the Point

Five of us have booked flights and accommodation through British Airways for a trip early next year. Our return flight has been cancelled and we have been booked on another service the next day. BA has agreed to sort out an extra night in the hotel, but should we ask for compensation to cover our food and a day off work?

P. R., by email.

If an airline cancels your flight, it must offer an alternative flight or refund. Given how long it is until the trip, you are entitled to nothing further so by paying for another night in the hotel, BA has already gone above and beyond. It is up to you if you want to ask for more compensation — the airline can only say no.

***

I bought a refurbished Rangemaster cooker on eBay with a six-month warranty. The seller came back to fix it, as the fan blew when I turned it on. He then claimed he would now have to wait for six months to get the payment and began pestering me to accept a refund and pay him again via PayPal. When I refused he became threatening.

W. B., by email.

Ebay says you should not make transactions outside of the website. A spokesman says the funds were in the seller’s PayPal account and he has agreed not to contact you further.

***

A car drove into the back of our BMW. I called my insurer LV= to arrange a courtesy car, but the Mini we were offered is much too small. We need a car big enough for our dogs and grandchildren who are coming to stay. LV= will not return my calls and I have no repair date for our car.

A. H., Norwich.

Your policy entitles you to a courtesy car that is equivalent to a small hatchback, which is why a Mini was provided. Larger cars, similar to yours, cost more. LV= suggested several alternatives, which you turned down, delaying the repairs to your own car as you were still driving it. LV= has not charged you for supplying a larger car and given you £100 in compensation because you felt let down by its service.

***

I tried to deposit a cheque in my Lloyds account, but the cashier refused to bank it, as my middle name — and not my first — was printed on it. I go by my middle name and have always been able to bank cheques in this format. Has Lloyds introduced new rules?

D. R., St Austell, Cornwall.

Lloyds says it takes a common sense approach to cheque deposits. It will accept a cheque using the customer’s middle name as long as it is listed on your account. It says in this case its branch staff applied the rules too strictly. It has reminded them of the policy and apologies for the confusion.

Write to Tony Hazell at Ask Tony, Money Mail, Northcliffe House, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email asktony@dailymail.co.uk — please include your daytime phone number, postal address and a separate note addressed to the offending organisation giving them permission to talk to Tony Hazell. We regret we cannot reply to individual letters. Please do not send original documents as we cannot take responsibility for them. No legal responsibility can be accepted by the Daily Mail for answers given.

Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline?

Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual

We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook.

You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.